Brothers and sisters rule in Saturday's Soap Box Derby

By Andy Fillmore Correspondent

Saturday

May 5, 2018 at 7:55 PMMay 5, 2018 at 10:52 PM

Ruth Taddeo, 12, bested a field of 11 other drivers in the Super Stock class and her brother Jeremiah Taddeo, 11, won out over a dozen other entries to win the Stock class, and brother and sister Marky and Jacy Ramirez took second place in both divisions.

SILVER SPRINGS SHORES — A brother and sister duo took the first and second place spots at the 15th annual Ocala Soap Box Derby Local Race Saturday and turned the quarter mile downhill roll into a glide path to the National Finals in Akron, Ohio.

Ruth Taddeo, 12, bested a field of 11 other drivers in the Super Stock class and her brother Jeremiah Taddeo, 11, won out over a dozen other entries to win the Stock class, and brother and sister Marky and Jacy Ramirez took second place in both divisions.

Ocala Soap Box Derby is the local group officially sanctioned by America Soap Box Derby based at Derby Downs, a downhill track in Akron, Ohio, site of the annual First Energy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship.

Local champions will be sponsored by Ocala Soap Box Derby to compete in Akron in the First Energy All-American Soap Box World Championship. This year the World Championship event will be held July 15 through 21.

Ruth and Jeremiah's father, Joe Taddeo, a lieutenant with Marion County Fire Rescue, said his family has been involved with Soap Box Derby for several years since their eldest daughter, Evalyn, won several years ago and earned a trip to Akron.

"We plan our family vacation around (the World Championship)," he said.

This year, Stock and Super Stock divisions raced in the local Ocala competition on a downhill portion of Oak Road in Silver Spring Shores.

Ocala Soap Box Derby is a nonprofit which handles the cars and organizes rally trips to other cities in Florida and Georgia. Major supporters and sponsors of the local group are Silver Springs Shores Presbyterian Church and the Silver Springs Shores Kiwanis Club.

Ocala Soap Box Derby president Nicholas Gajraj, whose family has been involved in the sport for several years, said youth can go to the World Championships at Derby Downs by winning the local races or accumulating points throughout the year by racing in rally races in cities in Florida and Georgia.

The local races decided winners from the Soap Box Derby Stock division for ages 7 to 13, Super Stock for ages 9 to 18.

According to the All American Soap Box Derby website, www.soapboxderby.org, the gravity powered Soap Box Derby races trace back to 1933 when a newspaper photographer, Myron Scott, saw boys racing soapbox cars and copyrighted the name and sought corporate sponsors.

The World Championship races are held at Derby Downs, a track built in Akron in 1936 while Franklin D. Roosevelt was president, the website states.

Gajraj said the sport remains popular locally with long time participants although "about 75 percent of our families racing are new to the group."

Rebecca Turnipseed said her family is "having a blast" with the gravity racing. Rebecca Turnipseeed, a nurse at West Marion Community Hospital said she and her husband, Jesse Turnipseed, who operates Turnipseed Restorations, are enjoying the sport they recently learned about through a friend.

The couple's daughter, Natalya, 8, raced in the Stock Division and their daughter Kara, 7, "can't wait" to race." The Turnipseeds also have a daughter, Ivanna, 22 months.

"This is something I can do with my daughters," said Jesse Turnipseed.

Rene and Adam Bickett had three children racing in Saturday's event, Jayden Ramirez, Jacey Ramirez and Marky Ramirez. Marky and Jacey both took second places in the two divisions.

"It's an awesome family event with no screen time," Rene Bickett said. Adam Bickett served as pit overseer for the races.

Tommy Jinks said his son Charley, 7, was racing in the Stock division and the gathering was a "great family event."

Indira Jaikissoon helped her daughter, Rosemarie, 7, as she came in from a race.

"I keep my head down. (Racing is fun)," Rosemarie said. Her sister, Daisy, 14, also helped in the pits.

Tish Baeder was at the races with her son, Noah, 9. She said her 8-yeaer-old son, Aiden, will race next year.

Former local champions and World Championship competitors, C.J. Holland and Matt Gajraj, son of Nicholas and Debbie Gajraj, attended to help younger racers.

Holland, 19, has made nine trips to the World Championships He said he sees "potential" in the current group.

Heather Pitts, with Adena Golf Club, had two children racing Saturday. Dylan,11, raced in the Stock division and Blakely Pitts, 12, raced in the Super Stock division, her third local race.

"I always look forward to the races. It's like going on a roller coaster, at first you're nervous but then you get focused," Blakely said. She described a race strategy that involved leaning down and dealing with irregularities in the track surface.

Notes about each racer in the race program state that Blakely "wants to enter the health field either as a doctor or a nurse" and although there was no trip for her to Akron at the end of race day, she was ready to race again.

"It's the fun that matters," Blakely said.

Winners of Local Championship Races Saturday

The first place winners will compete in the First Energy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships in Akron, Ohio, in July:

Stock Division

1. Jeremiah Taddeo, 11

2. Marky Ramirez, 10

3. James Tackett, 8

Super Stock Division

1. Ruth Taddeo, 12

2. Jacey Ramirez, 13

3. Brianna Scallatino, 13

Kayla Gajraj and Brianna Scallatino will go to Akron World Championships based upon accumulated rally points.

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